Twisted Reality 2: Version 20
by Firestorm
Summary: Cye is trying to bear the fact of being Talpa's son when mysterious changes begin to happen. But what happens when he finds out he must go back to the Dynasty to rule?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the Ronins or Emily! And this is my own version of what happens after my first fic of Twisted Reality. So enjoy!

**Twisted Reality 2. Version 2.0**

Chapter 1.

Cye stood at his bedroom window, staring across the vast starry sky. His eyes were wavering, but they held no tears. It had been two weeks since he had learned who his father was, and knowing that fact didn't make Cye feel any better. All day he had been mostly silent. His friends had asked him what was wrong, but he had told them it was nothing. Not even his girlfriend Emily could get him to speak. They knew who he was, too, and still accepted him. 

The birthmark, unfortunately was a constant reminder of who he was, of where he had come from. He tried hard not to think of it, to be the Cye he had always been. But knowing he had all these powers and knowing that he was Talpa's son was hard on him. 

He let out a sigh and pulled himself away from his window and headed toward the door. No sense in staying up here anymore. He left his room and went downstairs where everyone else was just getting ready to watch a movie. As far as he could tell the movie was about a pair of twins who got lost in the wilderness and were taken care of by a black bear. He had never seen the movie before, but he was willing to bet that it was good. 

"Hey, Cye!" Kento said with a grin. "Nice to see ya, man!"

Cye smiled at him as he sat down beside his girlfriend Emily. She smiled at him and laid her head on his shoulder and he put an arm around her.

"Aww," Rowen teased, folding his hands and batting his eyelashes. Emily threw a pillow at him and he ducked.. The pillow hit White Blaze in the face, and the tiger snatched the pillow up and threw it against Rowen's face, knocking the archer down on his back.

Everyone laughed.

"Should have been more careful there, Rowen," Ryo said with a smirk.

Rowen took the pillow off his face and sat up. "I swear, that tiger's out to get me!"

White Blaze snorted at him, then scratched himself, putting most of his fur on Rowen. Rowen whined and scooted away from him. "Ryo! Get your tiger! He's putting fur all over me!"

Ryo shrugged. "You think that's bad. You should see my bed."

"Ryo!" Mia shouted, making him flinch. "You know White Blaze isn't allowed on the furniture!"

"Tell that to him," Ryo muttered.

Mia glared at the tiger, and White Blaze stared back. Then he rubbed against her, rumbling quietly. Mia sweatdropped. She hated it when the tiger did that. It always made her less angry at him. Before she knew it, she was petting him on the head.

At last the movie started and everyone found places to sit down. Ryo, Mia, Cye, and Emily shared the couch, Sage, and his girlfriend Mariah, who was extremely quiet, and never spoke much, shared the sofa, Kento, and Rowen took the beanbags on the floor. 

They sat, or laid on their stomachs, watching the movie intensely. The movie started just as any other would, with the Kearson family getting ready to get to go on a camping trip in the Yellowstone National Park. Their two blond daughters, ages ten, were quite ecstatic, and didn't seem to hear their father warning them to always stay close to them while in the park.

Commercials came and went, and though annoying, the movie took their attention again.

It lasted for a good two hours, and when it was finally over, everyone was tired.

Sage stood up and stretched and took his keys to his Porsche. "Well, I'll be back soon. I'm taking Mariah home."

Everyone nodded as the blond left with the tiny brunette.

Kento gathered himself up and headed into the kitchen.

"I don't get it," Emily said as she stood up. "Why doesn't Mariah talk? She's so quiet."

Cye smiled gently. "She's shy, Emily. She'll come around soon. Just give her time."

"I'll try, but you know me, Cye," Emily said.

Cye nodded and drew her close as he kissed her.

"Get a room!" Kento said from the kitchen doorway. He had a bowl of chips and a cup of cheese dip. Cye broke his kiss off and smirked at him.

"We do have a room. It's upstairs."

Kento's face fell, and he could say no more, leaving the two young lovers to snicker as they turned and headed for bed. The fact was that Emily had her own room, and Cye bunked with Kento. But sometimes it took Kento a while to come back with a smart comeback, and this time he couldn't think of one.

Ryo followed Cye and Emily up the stairs, with White Blaze directly behind him, and with Rowen and Mia behind him. Kento would not go to bed until he finished his bowl of chips.

With everyone in bed now, Kento stayed up watching the comedy channel while eating away his chips.

Sage returned home about twenty minutes later, and he didn't pay much attention to Kento. He just wished him a good night and headed up stairs to bed. After finishing his chips and cheese dip, he put his bowl and cup in the sink, and headed up to bed. 

The next day Cye found himself in school, tapping his pencil lightly at his face while deep in though. He was in History class at the moment, and the sensei had instructed the class to write a summary about the Taiwan government. Cye didn't see why they had to do this, but he figured it was not for him to complain, so he sat there, trying to think of how to start. It seemed as if everyone else was starting, but Cye couldn't think of a single thing to begin with. 

He closed his eyes, trying to come up with something, but nothing came. He looked at the clock. 9:45 a.m. He had only twenty more minutes to finish this summary. _Just great. Why can't I think of a single thing to begin with? I wish he would have given us more time to prepare for this, instead of dumping this on us suddenly. _He let out a sigh as he stared at his blank paper. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, he finally came up with something to start with. He only hoped he could keep it in his head. He wrote as fast as he could, and neatly too, his brain forming the words, and his hand writing them down. When he finished at last, the bell rang, and he let out a huge sigh of relief. He had finished just in time.

"Pass the summaries up to the front before you go, please," Sensei Tomoki, instructed. The class did as it was told, and once the papers of the thirty students were gathered up, the students gathered their things to go to their next classes. 

Cye sighed again in relief as he headed down the hall. He was glad that was over with. Now he had to face Algebra 1. As he walked down the hall, he suddenly felt someone grab him on the shoulder. He whirled around, expecting to see one of his friends, however, no one was there. He blinked, looking around to see if any of the other students had grabbed him, but they were all busy doing other things so it couldn't have been them. So then who was it?

He shook his head, not wanting to worry about it for the time being. He had to get to his Algebra class. He hurried down the hall, and rounded the corner, and went down a flight of stairs, rounded around another corner, and entered into his class. He sat down just as his classmates entered and took their seats as well. The sensei soon came in, huffing and puffing as she carried what looked to be a huge briefcase. Sensei No (pronounced: Naw) was a short woman who stood only at four feet. At the beginning of the school year, the students had tried to overwhelm her, but soon found out she was not the type to go running off. Her fiery temper and her quick comebacks, made up for her short size. 

At her presence, the students bowed politely, and she returned the bow as they wished each other a good morning. She told them to sit down and they listened. They were silent as she opened the briefcase and took out the homework papers, and then passed them down to the students. 

When Cye got his he stared at his grade. His eyes widen with shock. A+. Never before had he ever gotten that high of a grade in this class. It was always a B-, and he could have sworn he had gotten at least five out of fifty wrong, but no, all of them were correct, and there was a little note from Sensei No. 'Good work, Mr. Mouri. I am proud you have mastered the lesson! Keep it up.'

Cye blinked. This had to be a dream. Wasn't it? He didn't know, and he didn't know why it even bothered him. But for some reason it did. And he only wished he knew why. 


	2. Chapter 2

****

Twisted Reality 2 Version 2.0

Chapter 2.

Sage stifled a yawn, trying as hard as he could not to fall asleep in this class. Why on earth did Sensei Aida make this class so boring? For the last twenty minutes he had been going on and on about the strata layer within the earth, in Geology class. After what seemed like forever, the teacher finally assigned the class some work. Sage took his pen and neatly wrote his name at the top of the paper, and then turned to the instructed page and began to write down his topic. For the next twenty minutes of class, the students worked silently, making their outlines for the lesson. It was due five minutes to the bell, and they worked quickly. Sensei Aida was known to get three weeks of detention for goofing off in the class, and no student wanted that.

Well, the class worked, the teacher sat at his desk, grading the homework that had been passed to him at the start of the class.

At five to the bell, he finally looked up. "Pass your work to the front of the class, and then write down this assignment. I want you all to do a book report on the layers of the earth. They are to be in order, what fossils are found in what layer, and how old each layer is. The report is due in three days."

As much as they wanted to groan, no one did. The outlines of the class were passed up front and collected, and the assignment was written down. The bell rang suddenly, and everyone gathered their things as fast as they could. 

Sage sighed in relief as soon as he was out of the classroom. He met up with Ryo who was on his way to gym.

"You look like Sensei Aida just told the best story," Ryo said sarcastically.

"Does it show?" Sage asked with a smirk.

"Not really."

The two walked down the hall together, passing other students who filled the halls. They soon came to the big gym, and Ryo told Sage he'd see him at lunch. Sage nodded and headed off to math class.

Ryo walked across the big gym floor. Some of the other boys were already there. One was a big boy who was always goofing off, and was rather a bully. Ryo never did like him. He was always trying to steal his lunch money, and when Ryo had broken his hand, he had gotten in-school suspension for two weeks. 

The bearer of Wildfire headed for the boy's locker room to change into his gym clothes. Some of the other boys came in afterward, greeting him. They all knew he was the captain of the soccer team, and the school's best player. Ryo grinned at them, and said hello to them as he was tying his gym shoes. 

Soon Cye appeared. He and Ryo shared this class together, which made both of them feel better. However Cye looked quite troubled.

Ryo frowned deeply. "Cye? What's wrong? Was someone picking on you?"

Cye shook his head as he began to change into his gym clothes. "No.. something.. weird happened in first period," he said quietly.

"Nani?" Ryo blinked at him. What did Cye mean? 

"I can't explain it right now," Cye said, glancing toward the other boys who were all changing. Ryo nodded to show he understood. Cye was putting his shoes on now. He was now quiet which made Ryo worry about him. He would definitely get him to talk later. 

Once everyone was ready, they headed out to the gym floor to meet with Sensei Azu. The gym teacher was a strong man with dark hair combed back, his face held a no-nonsense look to it, but he was very kind and helped the students to achieve their goals, and encouraged them greatly. 

He started them out with simple exercises first, going through sit-ups, crunches, push-ups, squats, leg lifts, knee bends, leg stretches, arm stretches, neck rounds. After doing these exercises, he had them jog three times around the gymnasium. Once they had finished the jog, Azu signaled them to gather around him. He was holding a hockey puck, and around him were some hockey sticks, and other equipment. 

"Are we playing hockey?" a boy asked.

"Well, it's like hockey," Azu said. "We're playing what's called Hockshock. In this game there are two defenders on each team, a goalie, and a passer. The rest of the players are the field players. Each team must try and score a goal into the other team's goal, and the goalie must block them just like in hockey. However, the goalies must not be touched with the puck. This is what is called a shock. If they are touched by it, that team loses five points, and those points go to the other team."

The class listened carefully as the teacher explained the rest of the game. Once he had explained it, he asked if there were any questions. No one had any. Soon he began to pair the teams up, assigning the positions. The teams for the time being were Team A and Team B. He, then, blew a whistle, and the game started. 

Ryo and Cye were on the same team which was Team A, and both were field players. The two teams ran back and forth, trying to hit the puck into the opposite goal, while the goalies tried to keep the puck from entering the goals, and from keeping it from hitting them. It wasn't easy as they soon found out. 

The intensity of game increased. Ryo was a fast player and was all over, dodging, and passing the puck to the other team players. So far his team was winning. The score was 5 to 2 at the time being, but that didn't mean it couldn't change. 

And it did. The goalie on the Team B finally got the hang of knocking the puck away from the goalie with the hockey stick, while keeping it from touching him. Again and again, he sent the puck flying across the room where another team player would immediately seized it, and sent it flying across the gym, where he knocked it into the goalie on Cye's and Ryo's team. Five points were taken away from their team, and given to the other team. Now it was 0-10. 

Ryo blew his bangs upward. He knew the team was disappointed, but they weren't going to give up hope.. And then something happened. Somehow, a change had come over Cye.. He streaked through two team players, and suddenly knocked the puck forward. It flew high in the air and traveled at a speed of fifteen miles an hour. The goalie of the other team tried to block it in time, but the puck streaked over head, and struck the boy in his face, sending him flying back into the net. 

Ryo's mouth dropped open. Did he just see what he thought he saw? The other boys were also staring at Cye in shock. They had never seen him play that well before.. Azu was also impressed, but he assumed it was just luck. He awarded the team the five points from the other team. It was now tied. 

The goalie of Team of B stood up, gathering himself together. He wasn't going to let himself be thrown like that again. As the teams played their rest, he stood at the ready, knocking the puck away from the goal again and again. Team B was playing wildly now, sending the puck sliding across the floor, where they scored a few points past the goalie of Team A.

Team A were playing their hardest though. Ryo sent the puck flying into the goal quite a few times gaining an extra point for the team. He then passed the puck to another team member who also scored a point. Once the puck was out again, a member of Team B was able to get the puck and began to send it flying across the floor toward the goalie of Team A. 

Cye was somehow there, and he blocked the puck before it could even get near the goalie. And then he suddenly sent the puck flying again. The two teams watched in awe as it flew overhead, and suddenly struck into the goalie of Team B the same way it did the first time. The score was now 15-10. Team A had won.

Azu blew his whistle as he stood up from the benches. "Well played!" he cheered them on. "I'm very well pleased!" 

The class thanked him. "Now you may all hit the showers before your next class. Cye?"

Cye paused, turning to look at him. "Yes, Sensei Azu?"

"I want to speak with you in my office."

Cye gulped, but followed him. Ryo watched them go, his eyes narrowed. Something was happening to Cye, but what? He had never played so viciously before. It was as if he had played this game before, but he knew Cye had never played this game. In fact none of them had before. He decided he would go and shower and head off to his next class. He would talk to Cye later. 

Cye sat down in the chair before the gym teacher's desk. He glanced around the office, studying the master's degree, and the trophies, and other equipment. Sensei Azu sat behind his desk.

"I'm very surprised at your performance today, Cye," he began.

Cye, thinking he was in trouble, lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

"What? No! Don't be sorry!" Azu chuckled. "I'm very well pleased actually. You did a great job in playing the game today. I've never seen anyone play as well as you did at this game."

"Really?" Cye blushed slightly.

"Yes, this game is actually one of the hardest games, because it deals with deep concentrating and quick reaction, as well as maneuverability. Cye, there is an actual team that is signing up for new players, and I wanted you to think of signing up for it." He handed him a brochure. "Just look that over, and if you decide you want to join, the team will meet this Saturday at the Auditorium where the sign-ups will be held."

Cye stared at the brochure for a moment, and then put it away. He waited for Azu to say something else. 

"You can go now, Cye. I'll write a pass for you though."

Cye nodded and the sensei wrote him a pass and handed it to him. After leaving the office, Cye headed for the showers. He was the only one there. As he showered, he let Azu's words run through his mind, and thought about all that had happened today. So far this had been one weird day for him, and he had a feeling it was going to get even more stranger as the day went on. 


	3. Chapter 3

****

Twisted Reality 2, version 2.0

Chapter 3.

By the time school had let out, Emily felt so tired, she wanted nothing more than to go home and take a long nap before homework and dinner. She just hoped Sage wouldn't complain. Then again, she didn't care if he did or didn't. She was getting some rest whether he liked it or not. 

She trudged toward her locker, allowing the other students to go around her, ignoring the hoots, and happy chatter of excited high school students leaving the dreaded building they were stuck in for seven hours a day. 

But as she passed by the Conference Room, she couldn't help overhearing a teacher talking to someone in there. 

"He had every single one right, George! It was unbelievable. He always got a C in my class, then suddenly he starts getting an A+ on his test and homework!"

"Perhaps he just studied hard?" George suggested.

__

'Who are they talking about?' Emily wondered. She decided to stay and find out.

"I don't think so," the other teacher disagreed. "He's always struggled with this subject, and I've done my best to help him. You don't go from C to A+ in one day! It's not possible."

There was a pause for a few moments, then George said in a rather soft and surprised voice. "Cye Mouri, getting an A+ in Geography. I would have never have imagined.."

Emily gasped in shock, and she quickly headed off, walking fast, now wide awake, and the thought of a nap far from her mind at the moment. She had to find the others and tell them what she had heard. She had known of Cye's struggle in Geography. She, Sage, Rowen, and Mia had all done their best to help him out. He had been getting Fs, followed by Ds, then suddenly he was getting Cs, and now it was A+? What was going on? She didn't know, and she wasn't sure she liked it. Sure she was happy for him, but what if something was up? Something none of them would like? 

She finally reached her locker, undid the lock, threw the door open, grabbed what she needed, put away what she didn't need, and slammed her locker shut, did the combination, and hurried off to find the others. This time she practically flew through the school. She wanted to get to them as soon as possible and tell them everything. 

Ryo sat outside on the fence, awaiting the others as he swung his legs against the chain link fence. He had been the first one out, and he decided to sit on the fence. Amazingly enough no teachers scolded him. They all seemed to be busy doing other things. Not that it mattered now. Students were leaving the building, some going on buses, some riding with parents or friends, and some walking. The May weather was pleasant, with a bit of wind blowing here and there, ruffling leaves on the tree, the grass blades, and hair. 

Ryo let out a sigh and looked toward the blue sky. It had been so peaceful for the past few weeks. Ever since Cye had destroyed Talpa and the Warlords, there had been no attacks from the Dynasty. Sure there was still some problems on earth, but that was expected. A few days ago, Kento had stopped an armed man from robbing a small grocery store. As a reward the clerk had given Kento a $30.00 worth of groceries for free, as well as $50.00. Other than that, not much else had been going on. Everything was the same, then again it was not the same. 

Ryo looked down at the ground toward his shadow. Lately, it had seemed that Cye had been getting more and more different.. He had been watching the young Ronin closely ever since he had learned of who Cye's father was. Cye was changing. In what way, he wasn't sure. He had noticed that just three days ago, when Cye had gotten mad at Rowen about something, his eyes had glowed red just the way Talpa's did. Ryo had suddenly grabbed him, dragging him away, and made Cye stay in his room until he calmed down. He had feared that Cye would really hurt Rowen even if he wasn't meaning to. He let out a sigh, then suddenly saw two shadows beside his own and looked up.

"Daydreaming again?" Kento asked with a smirk.

Ryo leapt down from the fence. "No, just thinking."

"About what?" Rowen asked him.

"About everything, particularly Cye."

Rowen nodded and Kento was silent. Both of them stood beside Ryo as they awaited the others. There was no need to say anything now. Soon enough Sage came out, followed by a silent Cye. Sage blinked in their direction. "I thought Emily and Mariah would be out here with you guys."

"Shoot!" Rowen said. "Sage, forgot to tell you, Mariah's doing office work. She asked me to give this note to you." He dug into his pocket, and handed the folded note to Sage who took it. 

While they waited for Emily, he unfolded the note and read it. After doing so, he tucked it away. 

"What's it say?" Kento asked.

"Just that she'll call me later. She'll be here till 8:00 tonight."

"Ouch," Ryo said. "I'm glad I don't do office work."

They nodded in agreement as a figure made their way toward them as fast as their legs could carry them.

Emily had been hoping that Cye hadn't gotten out of the building yet, but when she saw him she frowned. Usually she'd be happy to see them, but she needed to talk to the others without him around. Oh well, hopefully she'd be able to do that later. She slowed down to a walk as she came near them.

"Hi, guys!" she said with a forced cheerfulness.

Sage raised an eyebrow at her.

"About time!" Kento said. "Let's go home!"

"Wait, where's Mariah?" Emily asked.

"She has to do office work," Sage said. "Won't get out till late this evening."

"Well, that sucks," Emily muttered. 

They started off for home, each one dreading the fact they had homework to do, all except probably Rowen, who enjoyed studying as if it was a life or death situation.

Meanwhile in the Dynasty, a group of men sat at a large rounded table. They wore hooded cloaks, their faces carefully hidden, and their presences dark. Each one wore a thick ring on his finger, and the air in the room was heavy with tension. Finally one of them spoke. 

"My brothers, it is time we've come to grips of reality. With our emperor being gone, the Prince of the Dynasty must return and rule in his place."

"But Akahito," said another. "We all know the son of the emperor is the reason why he vanished away!" 

"I know that Bajin," Akahito replied. "But there is no choice! As the only blood relative, he _must_ return!"

One of them leaned back, folding his arms. "I don't like it, he said. "So many things can happen. We know he's a Ronin. There's a lot of people who won't go for his ruling."

"We know, Doi," Akahito said. "But that's a risk we'll have to take. He can be trained to rule just as Talpa had."

"How do we get him to come here?" another one asked, whose name was Kan.

"We are not sure how just yet," Akahito said. "Kidnapping him would be useless, as the other Ronins would arrive to free him. I think our best solution is to go to him directly and talk with him face to face."

"That will not be easy, you know," Meiji said as he looked at them all. "I fear he will say no to us, and refuse to come. And we can't force him either."

"He will not have a choice!" Akahito raised his voice. As the crowned prince he must return!"

And all of them fell silent, staring at him. He cleared his throat and stood up from the table. "We should get this over with as soon as possible. Three of us should go. I'll be the one to go, along with Kan and Bajin. Doi and Meiji will handle things here. Agreed?"

They all nodded as they stood up as well. They separated into groups, with the group of the three vanishing from the room, and the other two left behind, both deep in thought about what the future of the Dynasty would become. 

Cye sat at on the couch, silently doing his algebra homework. Beside him Ryo was working on History, Rowen was working on Chemistry, Sage was finishing up English, Kento was doing his Geography, and Emily was working on her Literature. In the kitchen Mia was cooking dinner. Normally, Cye would cook dinner, but lately he had seemed withdrawn. He hadn't spoken to anyone since school had let out, and seemed to be in deep thought. The others had noticed it as well, but they decided to give him time and let him tell them what was bothering him. 

Rowen closed his Chemistry book and let out a sigh. "Well, that's finished with."

"Lucky you," Kento muttered. 

Rowen just grinned at him. 

Things got quiet again as they continued to work away, then suddenly White Blaze lifted his head and stood up, the furs along his back rising up. He let out a soft growl.

"Huh? What is it, White Blaze?" Ryo said as he looked toward his tiger.

Kento and Emily looked at one another, and Rowen and Sage also looked at one another. All four looked back at the tiger. Cye was the only one who did not look up. 

Then three figures appeared in the middle room.

"What?!"

"Who are they?"

The one in the middle looked around, then rested his eyes on Cye, who was now looking up at them, a bit shocked to see them standing there, and wondering like the others who they were.

Kento immediately stood up, not trusting the way his friend was being stared at. But before he could say or do anything, all three figures suddenly bowed before Cye!

The Ronins looked perplexed. Who were these guys?

"Your highness," the one in the middle said. And the room was filled with a moment of silence. 

"Um, do I know you?" Cye asked.

The three straightened up. "No, you do not. My name is Akahito. This is Kan and Bajin. We are from the Dynasty."

"I knew it!" Kento bellowed. 

Ryo raised an eyebrow, wondering what this was all about. 

"The Dynasty?" Cye's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "And you've come to take me there, haven't you?"

"So, your other powers are beginning to awaken," Kan said with a nod of his head.

"What's going on?" Sage demanded. "Who are you people, and what do you want with Cye?"

"Cye, as the crowned prince of the Dynasty, you must return to rule. With Talpa being gone, our empire is subject to countless to battles and those who wish to rule it. Only you, a blood relative must rule in his place."

Cye immediately shook his head. "No. I'm not going back. I've had my fill of the Dynasty."

Akahito frowned and let out a sigh as if he was dealing with a young kid who refused to behave. "I'm afraid you have no choice, your highness."

Sage's eyes narrowed. "He does have a choice! And you can't stop him from having one!"

"And if you try," Ryo said as fire glowed in his eyes, "we'll stop you!"

"We don't wish to have any trouble," Bajin said. "But there is no choice! Please just come with us. You can bring your friends if you wish to."

Cye sat there thinking as he looked at his friends. He wasn't sure what to do. Any decision he made could be fatal or even worth it. He wasn't sure he wanted to risk the chance. What was he going to do? 


	4. Chapter 4

****

Twisted Reality 2. Version 2.0

Chapter 4. 

Ryo stared at Cye, knowing that any choice he would soon make had to be of his own. If it were up to him, he would have said no, and wouldn't have given a second thought about it. But it wasn't his choice, and he couldn't tell Cye what to do. It was his own decision. Clearly he could see that Cye did not want to go, but these three beings weren't making it easier on him. He had all of his friends supporting him, but who knew what these three cloaked men were capable of? He watched Cye as the young Ronin stood there, biting his lip with downcast eyes. It was still certain that he did not wish to go.

Rowen sighed deep inside. This was hurting him; seeing Cye in this predicament. Never before had they had to make such a difficult choice. He wished this wasn't happening to him, or that these three Dynastians hadn't suddenly shown up in the middle of their living room while they were all doing their homework. It just wasn't right. He watched Cye, then looked at the three figures who called themselves Akahito, Kan, and Bajin. Why did they want Cye to come back? There had to be a reason right?

Kento was glaring these three strangers who had suddenly shown up. He didn't like them nor did he trust them. There was no way he was letting Cye go with them. He'd help him fight them off, and send them running back to the stank place they had come from. But one look at Ryo told him no, that Cye had to tell them for himself. There was nothing he could do, and it irked him to no end. 

Sage stood there silently, watching Cye struggle within himself. Even Emily and Mia who had come from the kitchen could see he was having trouble making up his mind, or so it seemed like it. Sage already had the feeling he knew what Torrent owner would say to these three men. Finally as everyone had waited for several long minutes, Cye finally looked up at Akahito, Kan, and Bajin and firmly shook his head. "No," he said. "I'm not going."

__

That's telling them, Cye! Emily cheered on silently. She glanced at the three men ready to tell them to take a hike. However she never got the chance.

Akahito frowned deeply. "So I see. I was afraid of this. And I have no choice."

"What do you mean?!" Kento demanded as he clenched his fists. He was ready for a fight. The figure did not answer him. Instead he reached inside his pocket robe and brought out a fine silvery powder. He raised his fist above his head and then opened his hand, letting the dust sprinkle over the Ronins and Emily and Mia, and White Blaze. 

"Hey, what is this?!" Ryo demanded.

"Yeah!" Kento snapped as they all began to cough. 

As soon as the powder had hit them, they suddenly felt as if they had been tossed in a high speed spin cycle on a dryer. Faster and faster they could feel themselves being spun around and around without moving their bodies, each one feeling as if they would soon be torn apart. Their eyes closed from the shock of it, all of them dropped to the floor in a very deep sleep.

Cye's eyes fluttered several times he groaned and opened them. He immediately sat up taking a look at his surroundings. He was lying on a king size canopy bed made of pure cedar and carved with intricate designs. The draperies hanging around the sides of the bed from the top of it and drifting just inches above the floor, was a light blue color and satiny to the feel. His sheets, comforter, and the six pillows were the same color, and made of the same material. When he pulled the draperies back, he found himself staring out into a large room that was grand. The walls and ceiling and doorways and window frames were all made of cedar with oak bases to the edges on them. The curtains hanging from the windows were light blue and added a sense of touch to the room.

There was a chandelier that hung from the ceiling made of gold and bronze and held at least seventy five glowing candles, all glowing with an eerie light blue and yellow flame, creating light that was a bit dim for his own liking, but still provided a good visual of the room. 

The carpeting appeared to be thick and was the same color as his bed sheets. He noticed he had furniture there, a desk, a dresser, and a type of vanity, as well as a large bookcase filled with thick and thin books. There was another door as well that led to the bathroom, but he chose not to go in there for the time being.

He threw back the comforter covering him and stared in surprise at the light blue kimono he was wearing. It had a golden sash that went from his right shoulder to around his waist where it was wrapped several times with the fringes hanging off either side of his hips. The cuffs at the ends of his sleeves were golden like the slash, but dropped off in fringes, each piece flowing freely as he held one hand up. The bottom of the robe was the same as the sleeves' ends. 

Cye climbed off the giant size bed and watched as his feet sunk into the thick carpet. He could about guess where he was, and he didn't like it. He was certain this was once Talpa's room, though it was probably more uglier than this. How he had gotten there he could about guess. All he remembered was those three men appearing in the middle of the living room, telling him to come back, and when he had refused, the one had sprinkled some dust on them, and after that it got dark.

Cye gasped. So if he was here, did that mean the others were here as well? The more he thought about it, the more certain he was that they were indeed there somewhere in the castle. He could just hope they had all been placed in rooms as nice as the one he awakened to.

Rowen's eyes fluttered several times before they cracked open. The first thing he saw was a blue pillow. Instantly his eyes opened wider and he sat up, gasping in shock. He looked around at his surroundings, finding himself on a queen size bed with matching blue pillows, sheets, and a comforter made of satin. The bed appeared to be a canopy without the coverings. He saw that the walls and doorway, and base work were made of machiche. The carpet matched his bed sheets. He had his own dresser and desk, and a bookcase filled with tons of high academic books. The only lighting he had was a dome light that held four glowing candles, each one burning with a blue flame, hanging from the center of the ceiling. 

He threw back the comforter and climbed off the bed, staring around. Okay, obviously he had been kidnapped. The good news was, he wasn't hanging in some dungeon somewhere, or worse the Gargoyles. Granted he had never been in the Gargoyles, but after seeing Sage suffer with nightmares about it, he knew he'd never want to find himself in that horrid place. 

He took a few steps further away from the bed. Were the others here? Could he contact them? No, that might not be a good idea. They might have either blocked their mind link somehow, or were powerful enough to hear their silent conversation. So instead he went to the door and tried the handle. When it opened, he stepped out and left the room, hoping to find the others. 

Ryo had awakened to find himself on a queen size bed. One look around told him that the bed had matching red satiny sheets, comforters, and pillows. The posts of the bed were made of oak and seemed to stand at least four feet tall. It looked like a canopy bed without the draperies. The ceiling arched above him and seemed to hold a pale dome light with four flickering candles that burned a red and yellow color. The walls were made of cherry with matching floors. The doorways, window frames, and base work were made of Chechen. The carpet as he studied it appeared to be a thick and deep red.

As his eyes drifted around the room, he saw the matching furniture; the dresser, desk, and vanity. He blinked at the vanity. "I'm not a girl," he muttered. "Why'd the put a vanity in here?" He already knew what had happened, and he didn't like it one bit. Heads were going to roll once he saw those three figures. He was very sore about finding himself back in Talpa's castle, and away from his comrades. He wasn't sure how Cye was doing, but he had a feeling the Ronin of Torrent wasn't too happy with this situation either. 

He climbed out of bed, not even caring if the carpeting was comfortable to his feet or not. He had to get out of there and find the others. 

He walked to the door and turned the knob, expecting it to be locked. However the knob turned and the door opened. He peered out into the vast hallway. Empty. Okay, so far so good. He reached into his jeans' pocket and grasped his armor orb, and sighed in relief. Good, they hadn't taken that away. 

He held the orb tightly in his hand in case he needed it. What he was thinking? This was the Dynasty. Of course he would need it. Right? He took a deep breath and made his way down the hall, keeping an eye out for anyone who would pose a threat, and an eye and ear out for his friends. 

Elsewhere both Sage and Kento had found themselves in similar rooms, each room colored differently, and made of different woodwork. For Sage, the bedding and carpet was yellow, and the woodwork was made of birch wood. For Kento, the bedding and carpet were orange, and the woodwork was made of cocobolo. They each had a desk, dresser, and a bookcase, and their own lighting that hung from the ceiling. Each one knew what had happened. Each one knew they didn't like it. And both were determined to get out of the rooms they had found themselves in. 

Kento was worried about Cye naturally, having Cye for a best friend. He immediately grabbed for his orb, relieved they hadn't taken it, and quickly put his subarmor on. He wasn't taken any chances, not with this being the Dynasty. He headed for the door and yanked on the knob, then almost staggered back when it opened willingly. Well, that was unexpected. He shrugged his shoulders and headed out of the room, and down the hall, just waiting for any Dynasty creep to sneak up on him. 

Emily had found herself in a very comfortable room. The carpet and bedding were her favorite color, which was blue. She had a dresser and vanity made of marble. The canopy bed was made of the finest satin material and seemed to shimmer like a sparkling ocean. Though the room was nice, she didn't want to be here. Not alone. She looked around the room, searching for a door. There were two. One led to the bathroom, the other led to freedom. She took a deep breath and headed to it, expecting it to be locked. However, it wasn't. She pulled the door open and peeked out, expecting to see a guard. The hallway was empty. Taking a deep breath, she went out into the hallway and quickly made her way down it, searching for her boyfriend and their friends. They were here somewhere. Were they in dungeons? Or had they been put in nice rooms too? Why had she been placed in that room instead of being locked up? It didn't make any sense. Unless they were planning something. And they most likely were. And whatever it was, it probably wasn't any good. The Dynasty was never up to any good. 

She suddenly froze, believing to have heard something. She listened carefully for several long moments. When she saw no one nor heard anything else, she continued on, hoping to find her boyfriend and their friends. She would be glad to get out of the Dynasty once and for all. 

Mia had found herself in a room that had pink just about everywhere. Pink bedding, pink carpeting, and pink curtains. Normally, she didn't mind the color pink, but even she grew tired of the color, especially where there was so much of it. She sat on the bed, deep in thought. She wasn't sure why she had been placed in a room like this, and she wasn't sure if the Ronins were okay or not. She was worried about them, especially Cye. The young Ronin hadn't want to come back to this place ever again, but it seemed like they had forced him to come anyway. 

She stood up. Was it possible she could leave this room? She doubted it, but she was willing to take the chance. She headed to the door and turned the knob. It gave some resistance, but after a while it opened up for her. Well, that was easy enough. She stepped out into the hallway, looking around. Okay, now which way? She chose the left side, going down west. Hopefully, she would find the others and soon. She didn't want to be by herself for too long, especially if any Dynastians were around. 

On and on she walked, shivering a little. She couldn't tell whether she was cold, or just afraid. Sure, the Ronins had taught her how to defend herself, but she wasn't as skilled as they were, and she had no weapon of her own. She would be glad when she would find at least one of them. She rounded a corner, and suddenly froze. There was a huge shadow on the side of the wall under the bright torch just beside hers, and it was getting bigger and bigger. She began to hear footsteps getting closer and closer. Looking around frantically, she saw the huge column and ducked down behind it, holding her breath in fear. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Twisted Reality 2. Version 2.0**

Chapter 5.

Mia felt as if her lungs were about to burst at any given moment. She didn't know how long she had been holding it, but already her lungs were aflame and her throat and mouth constricted as if she had gone without liquid for an entire day. 

The owner of the footsteps got closer and closer; she tensed up.. It came into full view, and her eyes suddenly widened. "Sage?!" she whispered with much relief.

Sage had been walking down several halls just moments ago, cursing at his luck at having found none of his friends. He wasn't sure how many times he thought he heard someone following him, but that must have been his imagination. Now he knew the voice calling his name wasn't his imagination. He turned his blond head and looked extremely surprised and happy to see the woman who had brought the Ronin Warriors together as a team. Immediately he headed over to her. "Are you okay?" he asked her. 

Mia nodded. "Yes, I'm just glad it was you I heard. I was afraid I'd be facing something unwanted."

Sage nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. I have no idea where they've put the others, but it has me worried.. My door wasn't locked at all, which I find odd.. Why would they kidnap us, and place us in rooms, and not bother to…"

"Lock them?" Mia finished. "Good question. I wish I knew, Sage. Right now, let's find the others. This place is creeping me out."

"Right."

So the two of them headed down the hall together, each one feeling better they weren't alone. True, Sage might have to protect Mia now, he didn't mind it one bit. Her being on her own could get her into trouble, and who knew if one of the other Ronins would have found her? 

They took a turn at the next corner, going down further into the depths of the castle. Here the castle seemed to sink lower as if they were going downhill a bit. Torches glowed brightly amongst old sets of armory that looked as if they hadn't been dusted in years.

__

'Hrm, Talpa's lackeys must have been really lazy,' Sage thought to himself as he glanced at one of the armor sets as he and Mia passed by it. 

They continued down the hall, keeping close by each other. Usually Sage could be so reserved towards her, and never seemed to actually care about her. Now he seemed so close, she felt safe. Very safe. Now if only they could find the others. 

Somewhere else in the part of the Dynasty, atop of a large black obsidian mountain, stood a small black palace. It was smaller in comparison to the Dynasty castle, but larger than most of the buildings around the realm. Soldiers dressed in garbs of dark brown and black flitted about, standing as either sentries or coming and going off to fill commands given to them. Inside the palace within the small throne room, sat a tall being. His skin was pale white, his eyes pitch black, and his long black hair flowed down his back. His hands were folded and his long sharp fingernails clicked together under his chin as he appeared to be deep in thought as one of his guards was standing before him. The guard had just brought him some useful news, and needless to say he was not at all pleased. 

"So, they've brought the prince back have they?" he sneered. "And his friends with him? Ah, yes, the powerful Ronin Warriors. Interesting they did though.. I would have expected Talpa's followers to kill them off for defeating them so many times. At least Wildfire anyway."

The guard nodded, but remained silent. It was best not to speak to his ruler unless asked a question or given a command. 

Shenshi was now silent again as his medium thick brows furrowed together. This was how you knew he was thinking. After a few moments of silence, he spoke again. "I do not want the prince becoming full fledged emperor of this realm. I didn't resist Talpa just to have to bow down to his son. I will kill him, and his friends with him, and I will become the new emperor of the Dynasty. And those who do not bow before my face shall die a horrible death." 

Kento was not happy at all. He was tired, hungry, and very worried about his friends. He figured he must have been walking through this blasted castle for at least twenty minutes 

now, and he felt he was no closer to finding his friends then when he first started. The castle was giving off an eerie silence that made the hairs on his arms rise straight up, and the skin on the back of his neck to prickle. Twice he had whirled around, thinking he had heard someone, but it turned out to be nothing. And now he thought he heard an owl hooting somewhere.

"Man, I've got to get out of here," he told himself. "This place is creeping me out. Good thing, Talpa is dead."

He smiled a bit at that as he continued on. Normally, Kento hated people dying, but Talpa was pure evil, and it was either him being dead or millions of people suffering under Talpa's reign. 

He ducked down under a low archway that seemed to have two glowing embers on either side of it. The moment he was passing through it, he felt a hand grab his shoulder, and then heard someone whisper. "Hardrock."

Kento's eyes widened with shock and he whirled around. He saw nothing. The entire area was void of life, except for his own. He heard a loud thumping, but it was only his heart, beating mercilessly against his own chest, threatening to leap out. 'Calm down, Kento,' he told himself. 'It's okay.. You're just freaked out from this castle. There's nothing here at all to scare you.'

He took a huge breath to compose himself, managed to get his racing heart back under to a near normal pulse, and exited through the archway and disappeared into the chasms. He walked further and further, now wishing he had brought a torch. It was getting so dark in here. He felt his way around a corner by stepping lightly and immediately bumped into someone. 

"Son of a….

"Kento?!"

"Ryo?!"

A flame appeared in the middle of their shocked faces.. Both boys took a step backward to give the other space.

"Man, Ryo! I'm so happy to see you!" Kento gushed out. "I've been stuck wandering around for who knows how long, and then I started hearing things, and…"

Ryo nodded his head as he kept the flame in his palm glowing. "I know, Kento. I've been feeling rather freaked out myself. But come on, let's find the others, and Cye, and get the heck out of here."

Kento nodded in agreement. If there was one thing that caused his blood to boil, it was the fact that Cye had been forced here to come along with him and the others, and had been separated from them. Whoever had done this, sure wasn't on Kento's nice list. And the same was with Ryo. It was never good to piss off two Ronins whose tempers could amount to the size of a inferno blast in two point three seconds.

On and on they walked, keeping their ears and eyes out for the others; the flame casting shadows on their faces as it guided them through these darkened halls. 

Rowen thought he could hear someone coming from about thirty feet in front of him, but then he could also hear footsteps from behind him. He moved back a bit toward the shadows where he awaited to see who the figure was. A moment of silence passed, then suddenly, something reached up and went to smack him across the face. Immediately he ducked down and caught the offending arm in mid air, and wrestled the attacker to the floor, nearly sitting on top of the struggling offender. 

"Get off me!" came a familiar cry.

Rowen immediately got off, letting out one long sigh of relief. "Emily," he said.

Emily stopped her fighting and stared at him, her voice opened in shock. "Rowen? Oh.. I'm sorry.. I thought you were Dynasty the way you were hiding there."

"And I thought the same of you," Rowen said. He helped her up. "Are you okay?"

"No, but I'll live.. Where are the others?"

Rowen shook his head as he peered up and down the halls. They were in some kind of opened chamber where three hallways seemed to meet, each one separated by a low, long archway, and each hallway going off into a separate direction. "I haven't the faintest idea," he admitted. "But they're probably all wondering the same about us. So, let's go and look for him. Who knows maybe we'll run into them all being together."

Emily nodded, and the two chose a direction to go, and set off, hoping for all it was worth that they would see someone else they could relate to. 

Cye whirled around the moment one of the men appeared in his room. Which one was this? Oh, it was Akahito. His eyes immediately turned to a cold deadly look, and he looked ready to attack the taller, elderly man. But for some reason he kept still. 

"Young prince, I apologize for forcing you to come here, but I had no choice," the man said as he peered into Cye's fiery eyes. 

"You liar!" Cye accused. "You could have let someone else handle this job, this.. governing or whatever it is you call it now! I have too many bad memories of this place, and you're making me face them again?! I never ever wanted to come back here!"

Akahito sighed loudly. He took out a cloth and wiped his face with it. He felt very tired, but there was work to be done. If Cye did not accept his responsibilities soon, all hell would break loose. And right now, the Dynasty did not need that. He put the cloth away and looked down at Cye again. "Why can't I get you to understand? I said I had no choice but to bring you back here. As the only child of his Majesty Talpa, you are required by Dynasty law to rule in his favor should anything happen to him. And yes, we know you killed Talpa, but that law abides to you, as long as you are of his blood.."

Cye rolled his eyes. "Let me get this straight.. Family members can kill one another here?"

"Yes, but only if it's of protection of themselves, or a loved one," Akahito said. "Now let me continue."

Cye sighed and folded his arms against his chest, feeling he was being forced even to listen. He really hated this. Why couldn't they just leave him alone?

"And as being you are his only son, we had to bring you back. The Dynasty cannot last long without a proper ruler. Already we have a rebellion going on. And the rebellion is getting worse and worse each day. If given the chance, it will cover the entire realm and consume it in a blood bath."

Now Cye was listening intently. A blood bath? War between the people who lived here in the Dynasty. He had never heard of such a thing.. He knew there was war between humans on earth, and that he and his fellow Ronins had fought against Talpa and his warlords, but never before had he heard of Dynastians fighting amongst themselves. He uncrossed his arms and stared up at Akahito, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Um.. who started the rebellion?" he asked. 

"A strong and feared warrior who goes by the name of Shenshi. He's always hated Talpa, even when they were younger. He wanted to be the ruler of this place, but as he was no blood relative, he never got the chance. But somehow he managed to talk several people into joining his side, and they escaped somewhere hidden in the Dynasty."

"And no one knows where they are now?" Cye pressed. 

"We've been searching for them, but so far, they hadn't been found," Akahito admitted.

Cye frowned. That worried him very much. If they couldn't find this guy, what did that mean for everyone else? For him? For his friends? Would they have to fight again, this time to protect the Dynasty? What was going to happen to everyone?

"So as the heir we must train you to become a proper emperor," Akahito continued. "You will learn to use your powers more, how to send out troops, how to declare commands to soldiers, how to do what Talpa did. It's true you are good, and not evil, but that's fine. Perhaps it is time the Dynasty had a good ruler to begin with. Still, you will learn to be firm, and not back down to anyone."

"That's what my friends tell me at school," Cye said, now looking bored, and yet hiding his concern. 

Akahito nodded. "Yes, yes, of course. Anyway, you must come with me. It's time we got started on with your training." And before Cye could blink, the elderly man grabbed his hand and within a flash, they were gone from the room. 


	6. Chapter 6

****

Twisted Reality 2 Version 2.0

Chapter 6.

Cye looked around the familiar throne room that had once belonged to Talpa. Everything was still the same, but it wasn't as dark nor as gloomy, and Talpa wasn't in his throne. He was still fighting the urge to run away from Akahito, and it was taking all of his willpower to stay right beside him. He knew that what the advisor had said earlier was the truth, and he was wishing it wasn't. 

Akahito came to a stop and looked down at him. "As you may have guessed it already, this is where you will be seated when ruling over us. Anyone who comes into this room must bow in your presence, for if they don't they are warned once, punished the second time with whips, third time imprisoned, and the fourth time put to death."

Cye's eyes widened with horror as he looked up at him with shock. He definitely did not want anyone to die just because they wouldn't bow to him. It just didn't seem right. If he was going to have rule, he would have to become forceful if he wanted to change a few things. He wasn't a murderer, and the thought of having to do something that horrible sickened him. 

Immediately he shook his head at him. "No. I don't want to force anyone to bow before me. I am not used to that attention, and besides I'm not a tyrant. I don't care if Talpa was my father. That doesn't mean I have to act like him. And I refuse to do so. That's how people turn against others; by being forced to do something they don't want to do by another being. I believe everyone is equal."

Akahito shook his head and murmured softly. "You have much to learn, young one."

"So do you."

Akahito did not answer to that. Instead he turned his head and clapped his hands. At once a mist of smoke rose up from the floor and circled into the air, curling upon itself. The flames on the candles rose up higher, and the other advisors soon appeared. 

Doi, Kan, Bajin, and Meiji all stared toward Cye as if sizing him up. Their eyes immediately went to Akahito who nodded at them. "Brothers," he began, "as you know it is time. We must present the prince to the loyal subjects and crown him as the emperor before their eyes."

All of them nodded their heads. Yes, it was time, and they would have to do it soon, before the opposing forces attacked them. For if that happened before Cye was crowned, it would be disastrous.

Cye stared at them unbelieving what he was hearing. He had thought there would be some kind of ceremony that he had to go through, but now it looked as if he wouldn't need to. 

"Wait," Kan spoke up suddenly. "What of the other Ronin Warriors?"

"Ah, yes," Akahito said as he stroked his beard. "I had forgotten about them. They are roaming in the castle as of now. Let them find each other, then we will bring them here. They, too, can witness the crowning of his highness."

Cye let out a small sigh and shifted rather uncomfortably. If only he didn't have to go through with this. 

Sage stopped walking for a moment, and Mia looked at him. "Is something wrong?" she asked. Sage narrowed his eyes and he seemed to be listening for something. Usually whenever he did that, he could sense something going on somewhere, or even hear something that no one else could. It was a known fact that Sage had the best hearing of the five Ronin Warriors. For a while Sage didn't answer her. He seemed concentrated on what he was doing at the moment, and Mia decided to remain silent to allow him to find out whatever was happening. 

Soon he spoke softly. "I can sense Rowen and Emily nearby."

Mia's eyes brightened. "How far are they?"

"Just down the hall." He started to walk briskly, and Mia followed beside him. For a while they did not come across anyone, and one would think that he had just imagined what he had heard. But he couldn't have. 

They turned another hall and ducked down under an arch to enter into another hallway. Now Sage stopped to listen again. Mia listened too, hoping she could hear what Sage heard. Sometimes she wished she could sense the Ronins so she wouldn't worry about them so much, but since she had no armor that was linked to theirs that was impossible.

But now she could hear footsteps, and two voices. And they were familiar as well. 

Sage let out a smile. Soon, the owners of the footsteps appeared.

Mia blinked several times. "Rowen? Emily?" Sage had been right. As always. 

Both of them looked up in surprise. Emily let out one big sigh of relief as if she had been searching for them all day long and was irritated about it, and Rowen looked as if he was ready to hug Sage and Mia both. 

"It's good to see some familiar faces around here," Rowen said.

"I'll say," Sage agreed. "Did you two wake up in furnished rooms?"

"Yeah, at least I did," Emily said. "It's strange. I would expect the Dynasty would keep us imprisoned."

"Well, we can't worry about that now," Rowen said. "We have to find Ryo, Kento, and Cye."

"Rowen's right," Mia said in agreement as she turned her head back over her shoulder. "They could be doing anything to Cye right now, and we all know these people were loyal to Talpa, and that Talpa hated Ryo more than the rest of you."

"That's because Ryo carried the White Armor and the Soul Swords of Fervor," Sage said. 

They started to walk once more, intent on finding their three comrades. So far their walk through the hallways had been uneventful. It was relatively quiet now; they could hear each other breathing. 

Emily came to a stop after a block of walking through the passageways. The others stopped and looked back at her, wondering why she had stopped. Then they noticed she was glowing a bit. Usually when she did that, that meant…

"Oh no," Sage groaned loudly. "He's here."

Mia blinked with confusion, a frown on her face forming as she looked back and forth at the two Ronins, and the descendant of the Ancient One. "Who? What's going on?"

"Come on!" Sage said as he raced off down the hall with a new burst of speed. The others quickly followed him, though Mia had a hard time keeping up. Rowen finally had to grab her by the hand and help her along as they all ran. "We have to find Ryo and Kento, and get Cye and get out of here before it's too late!"

Kento sighed heavily as he finally began to relax his guard. So far the creepy feeling he had felt earlier hadn't been felt by him since he and Ryo had walked more than four miles throughout the castle. He felt better having Ryo with him, as if Ryo had frightened off whatever it was. 

Come to think of it, what exactly was the presence? It seemed familiar, and yet at the same time it didn't. He wasn't sure what to make on it, and it was confusing him big time.

Ryo looked back at him. "Hey, you okay now? You seem to be."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just really jumpy, you know? I wasn't expecting three weird looking Dynastians to suddenly appear in our living room, knock everyone out, and for us to all wake up here in the Dynasty with nice rooms," Kento said.

Ryo frowned as he furrowed his eyebrows a bit. There was something he had forgotten about earlier, but now he was suddenly finding himself wondering about it. He turned his head to look at Kento. "You know in all the frustration of this, I forgot about White Blaze. He was there too when we were all knocked out."

"Do you think he's here?" Kento asked.

Ryo looked away from him to stare straight ahead once more as he shook his head. "I don't know. But if he is, he'll find us. Let's keep searching for the others, and for Cye. Hopefully they're all close to us."

"Yeah."

The two headed off again, trying to be as cautious as could be. They kept themselves ready in case of an attack, but so far no attack came, and to them that was good, but also strange in its own way. 

They made a right turn and headed up the narrow stairs leading them to second section of the castle chamber halls. Quickening their pace they hurried off into the inky blackness, Ryo still using his fire to light their way. 

Kento suddenly saw the moving shadows just up the hall from where he and Ryo were. He came to a sudden stop, causing Ryo to stop immediately, and to wonder what was the matter.

"Ryo!" Kento hissed at him. "Someone's coming!"  
Ryo followed his look, and he too, saw the shadows up ahead. And they were getting larger and larger as a group of people were coming closer and closer toward them. 

"Who do you think it is?" Kento asked.

"I don't know," Ryo said as his eyes narrowed. "But if it's someone unwanted, they better expect a fight from us if they try to recapture us."

"Yeah!" Kento agreed.

But then suddenly something moved around them. Something they couldn't see. It was something that felt so ancient, so familiar, and so cold, the very hairs on their arms prickled and turned to ice, and their hearts seemed to freeze with fear. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Twisted Reality 2. Version 2.0**

Chapter 7.

Ryo hated to admit it, but he knew the truth. Their most dreaded enemy, the one they had fought for so many years, and the one who had fathered Cye, was by them. And though he was dead, he could still cause trouble for them. He glanced toward Sage whose eyes were wide, with fear? Disbelief? Perhaps both. 

Emily was still glowing like a beacon light, but so far nothing happened. But why though? What was Talpa's spirit up to? Was he planning to attack them? His eyes narrowed and he was thinking of armoring up, but for some reason he could not. It wasn't that Talpa's spirit was keeping him from armoring up, it was something else. He didn't understand what was going on really, and judging from the others he could tell they didn't understand either. 

Rowen could feel his heart thumping wildly in his chest, certain it would pop through his skin any second now. He was still shivering from the cold air, and even the subarmor didn't help. He didn't like this at all. Why had Talpa suddenly appear? Was he after Cye still? Was it he who had sent those Dynastians to get Cye? He was starting to believe it was highly possible. And he was certain that Talpa had done so to get Cye to bring him back. They would have to stop him, and by doing so, that meant finding Cye and taking him back home.

Sage was finding it difficult to breathe. If there was one thing he loathed, it was being close to a spirit, especially one that had been evil while yet alive. He could see Talpa, feel him, hear him. Being near spirits affected him more greatly than the other Ronin Warriors, and even Emily. It had always been a curse in his opinion, and there was no way he could stop it. Shivering he stared into Talpa's eyes, however Talpa only stared at him. There was no hatred, nor amusement, or kindness in them. In fact there was no emotion except concern? Wait, what was this? Talpa was actually showing concern? 

Talpa's spirit suddenly turned away from them. Not hesitating it quickly floated away down the hall, heading toward the top north wing of the castle. The Ronins, Mia, and Emily cast a quick glance at one another, before following after it. 

It led them through several halls, past dungeons and corridors, past rooms, and wide sweeping arches, and up several stairs. They did their best to keep up with it, nearly panting out of breath from all the climbing they had to do suddenly. 

When they had finally reached the main floor where the throne room was, Talpa's spirit made a right turn, heading northward. Ryo raised an eyebrow wondering what he was up to. Should they trust him? No, this was Talpa they were talking about. He could never be trusted. But right now they had no choice.

Before they knew it, they were standing by the throne room door, staring at it, unsure of what to do now. 

Talpa's spirit had no hesitation though. It floated right through the frame and was gone from their sight.

"Well, what now?" Kento asked as he looked at Ryo. If it were up to him he would have already knocked the door down and gone after whoever was in there now, especially if they were holding Cye in there.

Ryo frowned, biting his lower lip. At this point he wasn't sure what to do. The warrior in him wanted to fight Talpa with everything he had, and yet his heart was telling him not to. He didn't understand what was going on at all, and he wasn't sure if anyone could explain it to him.

Sage was also confused by what was happening. He kept staring at the door where they had seen Talpa's spirit float through it. Could Cye be in there? What was happening to him? Was Talpa making him bring him back? And if so, why couldn't he sense that? What was going on here?

Rowen was staring at the door. He could sense that Cye was in there, how he knew he wasn't sure. All he knew was they had to get in there, for whatever reason there was. No telling what Talpa or his cohorts were up to. Before Talpa had Cye captured when he had just turned 16. The tyrant had wanted to raise Cye and train him with the incredible powers he had, and to turn him evil at the same time. It hadn't worked before, and in the end Cye had killed Talpa and the Warlords together during one hectic last battle for his freedom, for all of their freedom. Now here they were again, staring at a closed door, waiting, and for what?

Mia looked at the others. "Shouldn't we go in?" she asked, voicing the question they were all wondering.

Emily nodded her head in agreement. She herself didn't see the point in waiting any longer than she had to. She kept staring at the door, then glancing at the others, then looked back at the door. "Let's go in already!" she said.

"Hang on," Ryo said. He gave a low whistle and soon White Blaze ran up beside him. Finally Ryo turned to the door. Just as he was about to kick it in, the doors suddenly parted and opened before them. 

Shenshi smiled. It wasn't a pleasant smile, or a smile of satisfaction. It was a smile of evil, pure evil. He had gathered up his armies, at least six hundred of them, all on black war horses, with him at the front. They carried spears, arrows, swords, and clubs. Any weapon which might be useful in battle they had. They were going toward the Main Dynasty castle. There they would plunder the main gates, attack the army within, and destroy the emperor. 

For now his army was in silence, the wind seemed to stop blowing before them as if in anticipation of Shenshi's signal to move out. And yet, Shenshi did not move. He seemed to be waiting for something. And whatever it was, was purely a premeditated plan of his. 

Finally the signal came. A long flare of what appeared to be a comet's tail burning as it soared overhead in the horizon, growing fainter and fainter as it finally disappeared on the other side. 

Shenshi gripped the reins of his horse tighter; it stamped its hoof and neighed furiously. 

"Onward to the castle!" he cried out in a commanding voice. 

The command went out through the ranks, and the soldiers headed off, following behind their master, ready to attack the new emperor, and destroy all that withstood in their way. 

The four Ronins, Sage's sister, and Mia all stared with open mouths as the two doors had opened up before them, allowing them to see into Talpa's throne room. Not much had really changed, except it was brighter. Emily immediately saw Cye, and she ran toward him, throwing her arms around his neck as she pulled him into her tight embrace. Cye gasped in surprise, but he was quick to return her hug, nearly lifting her off her feet.

Ryo came over to them, his eyes glancing, no glaring at the Dynastian elders. They said nothing, but stared back with unnerving calm. He turned his head to look at Cye again. "Are you okay, Cye?"

Cye let go of Emily and looked at Ryo. He said nothing, but hugged him, then Kento, Sage, Rowen, Mia, and finally White Blaze. When he got a hold of his emotions he nodded in response to Ryo's question. "Yes, I'm fine. A bit shaken though."

"Yeah, well these guys have a lot of explaining to do," Sage said as he cast a cold glare toward the elders.

"I'll say!" Kento bellowed as he, too, gave a dirty look at them. He was fighting the urge to go over to them and punch them all in the face. How dare they stare at them as if they did nothing wrong! He couldn't stand the way they looked so calm as if there was nothing anyone could do to them. He would show them!

"Kento, cool it," Rowen said as he glanced at his friend with a delicate eyebrow raised. He could sense Kento's anger increasing and at the moment to do anything would be rash. They couldn't take the chance of attacking without knowing what they were up against.

"You do not have to fight us, Ronins," Bajin said in his deep voice. 

At this they gave a shocked look. Had he read their minds? Mia stepped forward, White Blaze following beside her. The tiger was ready to pounce should the first sign of danger come to the young woman who had brought the five Ronins together and offered them room, board, and food in her own home. 

"How did you know they were thinking that?" she asked the elders.

"They were giving off an acrimonious energy," Doi told them as he stared at them with his piercing blue eyes. "You have not been trained to pick up that signal, or you would have sensed it yourself."

"What makes you think we shouldn't attack you?" Ryo asked angrily as he stepped forward. He was ready to transform into his armor, but he didn't. He retained his self-control. 

Akahito raised a hand signaling for quiet. All eyes turned their attention on him, and he spoke with a low, but firm voice that seemed to entrance all those who were present. "Please, be advised that we have no intention of harming the prince or his friends. We brought him here to keep the Dynasty running smoothly, otherwise we would face many hardships."

"Good," Kento muttered.

Akahito raised one eyebrow at Kento, but continued on. "And should we face hardship, then your realm will face hardship as well."

At this they all grew angry. 

"But that's not fair!" Sage bellowed as he clenched his fists at his sides.

"That's right!" Rowen agreed as his eyes narrowed. "We won't let anything happen to our realm. We defended it before, we'll do it again!"

"So you say," Meiji said sadly, "but the forces against us are great. Great in strength and great in number. If they attack us, they will surely attack you. That is why we must crown Cye, or his father's enemy will hurry and kill him, and try and take the crown for himself. We cannot let that happen."

Cye looked at Akahito as he remembered the elder's talk with him before he had been brought to the throne room. "You said that no one without a blood relation to Talpa could rule this place."

Akahito nodded his head as he looked at Cye. Now everyone was staring at them. "Yes, I did. And Shenshi cannot rule this place, no matter how much he tries."

"Who's that?" Emily asked.

"A rebel," Kan replied with venom in his voice. "He betrayed Talpa out of jealously and rage and left somewhere years ago. He gathered up followers and they hid somewhere within the Dynasty. We have battled against them, trying to squash the rebellion, but it got us nowhere. Now with Talpa dead, and with his only child here being untrained in ruling, things look bad now."

"Wait, hold on," Ryo said as he frowned deeply. "Would this guy be after Cye now?" The question had suddenly come to him and it weighed down on him deeply, tearing at his heart and soul. 

All the elders nodded their heads. At seeing this Emily gasped and clung to Cye, ready to help protect him, even if meant killing anyone who dared lay a finger on him. Kento growled angrily, Sage's eyes widened as he quickly glanced at Cye, Rowen frowned deeply, and Ryo looked over at Cye, his eyes filled with a father's protection. A few minutes later, he looked back at the elders and spoke firmly. "We won't allow anyone to harm Cye."

"You won't need to," Doi said. "Cye has the power to crush the rebellion once he looks deep down inside of himself."

"Huh?" Cye said as he looked at the elder. "What do you mean?"

But Doi had no time to reply. They had suddenly picked up the alarm signals as a fierce wind gathered up, increasing in force and velocity. Everyone was trying to shield themselves the best they could, their hair and clothes being blown in this terrible wind. Rowen grabbed onto Mia and shielded her the best he could. 

Suddenly, the windows shattered, spraying shards of glass everywhere. The candles finally went out, bathing them within darkness, and an eerie silence filled the room. 


	8. Chapter 8

****

Twisted Reality 2, Version 2.0

Chapter 8.

Cye was the first one to be able to see into the darkness. The dark shapes of outlines of his friends and of the Dynastian elders surrounded him, but there were other shapes too, and one seemed more sinister than the rest of them. He frowned as this one seemed to direct its attention directly at him. A cold glare sent shivers up his spine and the hair on the back of his neck prickled. 

He knew he had to stay calm and focused. Of course it didn't help especially when this new enemy was staring at him with such hatred. Never before had he sensed such hostility. It made him feel cold, hollow, and remorseful. But why was he feeling these feelings? It made no sense to him at all. 

He tried to calm himself, but for some reason he kept growing more and more fearful. The dark entity seemed to stare directly into his soul, a smirk on his cold face as he watched the young prince struggle within himself to overcome his own emotions.

Beside him, Ryo had already drawn his Wildfire swords and had attacked the first soldier that had come closest to him. A scream was heard and blood spraying into the air was seen. Rowen paled at the sight of it. He was never fond of blood, and this was just proving to him to be extremely weird. After all, since when do Dynasty soldiers bleed real blood? More importantly, how could they have seen it in the dark? The questions waved on him heavily and he had no time to ask, or even have them answered.

Sage narrowed his eyes, trying to see through this intense darkness. He was feeling weakened by it, but he knew if he panicked it would only decrease his energy more and more. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to focus on all that was happening. Then he suddenly sensed an attacker coming at him. With a sudden flash of light, his nodatchi struck out, catching the soldier right in his throat. 

The soldier's eyes widen and he gagged as he clutched his throat, the blood spraying everywhere, before he collapsed to the floor, dead. 

Kento felt another grab him from behind, the long muscular arms choking him. He let out an irritated growl, then suddenly stomped hard on the aggressor's foot, and elbowed him between the rib cage, knocking him loose. With a round house kick, he sent him flying across the throne room where he hit the back wall and slid down it, a trail of blood slowly running down the wall from behind him.

Emily raised her arms above her head, palms held outward as she began to chant. The wind picked up around a soldier, lifting him high into the air. He struggled and kicked and tried to slash at her with his weapon, but the weapon was torn from his right hand, and was sent flying through the air where it embedded itself into a pillar. Then he, himself was tossed right out one of the windows, his scream deafening those who heard him. 

Kan frowned deeply as he stayed as close as he could to Cye. He knocked away a soldier charging from behind, then grabbed another by the throat and gouged his eyes out. He felt a blade slice open his right shoulder and he hollered in pain, then retaliated by slamming his elbow against the bridge of his attacker's nose, breaking it. When the assailant doubled over in pain, Kan quickly grabbed his head and broke his neck. He let him drop to the floor and kicked the lifeless body away. 

Akahito raised a hand upward and suddenly knocked another soldier away. One tried to trip him, but he quickly avoided it, and struck him right in the chest, causing him to flip over his own shoulder. He, then, grabbed another one and twisted his arm behind it, and suddenly snapped it, causing the arm to become severed from the body. He was splashed with flying bits of blood, but that didn't matter to him. What mattered was protecting the prince from being attacked by these soldiers. He knew that Cye had to face Shenshi and defeat him without aid. For only by doing so, would Cye be able to end the onslaught and the rebellion against the Dynasty kingdom. 

Meiji's eyes glowed with a strange metallic color to them. At the same time, a stream of lasers shot out of them, striking the nearest soldier dead between the eyes. The soldier froze in mid-attack, staggered, then fell over onto his side. His body twitched for several moments, before he finally became still, dead. 

Doi crossed his arms across his chest, his fists held upward as he suddenly lifted both legs up and outward in a ferocious kick, sending an attacker flying backward and right into another assailant. The two tumbled backward on the floor as he landed calmly on the floor. He took what looked like a pouch and opened it up, then grabbed some silver dust and blew it at them. When they were covered with it, they began to cough severally, blood filling their lungs up, coming up through their mouths, nose, and ears. Their bodies began to twitch severally and they curled up on the floor, shaking as if in a seizure as their bodies were literally torn little by little. Then after intense agony they both became still, death having taken them over. 

Bajin leapt into the air and body slammed another down hard on the floor. Before the soldier could react, he had suddenly grabbed him forcibly by the head and slammed it on the floor. There was a sickening crack and blood seeped out from behind the lifeless body. The elder stood up and suddenly cried out in pain as a dagger embedded itself into his back. He left it in, ignoring the pain now as he suddenly turned and threw a ninja star right into the forehead of another aggressor. There was a scream of pain before the soldier toppled forward, lifeless. 

White Blaze swatted his powerful claws at the torso of another soldier, knocking him off his feet. The large tiger let out a roar as he pounced on his back and bit the back of his neck, severing his spinal cord. Once he was dead, the tiger then turned on another soldier, fangs digging right into his neck. There was a loud scream of pain, and then it became quiet. 

Mia was doing her best to stay out of the way as she listened to the battle. She couldn't see what was going on, and she wondered how on earth they were able to fight without being able to see. She couldn't even see her hand in front of her eyes, but for an odd reason, the Ronins, Emily, and the Dynastian elders were fighting viciously and seemed to be upholding quite well. As for White Blaze fighting, well, that was different. The tiger could actually see in the dark, but she didn't think the Ronins or Emily could. Could there be a reason why? 

She suddenly felt a soldier coming at her, and she gave a yelp of surprise. Kan looked toward her, and withdrew a dagger hidden in his belt. He took careful aim and threw it in a vertical line. It sailed through the air, and suddenly struck the attacker between the eyes, the tip of it going out through the back of his head. He twitched and fell over, lifeless. 

Mia gasped several times as she looked around for the one who saved her. Kan said nothing, therefore not letting her know it was he who had rescued her from a sudden death. Instead he had gone back to fighting.

Shenshi lifted his eyes and stared at his soldiers. His lips curled in disgust. They were losing, something he could not afford. This wasn't going to happen. It was time to take matters into his own hands, and the only way he could do that was by killing the child before him. 

He clapped his hands loudly, the echo vibrating off the walls. At once, the soldiers stopped attacking the Ronins, the Ancient's descendant, and the elders. The candles' lights flickered back on, and once again, they could all see clearly. 

Cye carefully looked into his adversary's eyes. All he could see was pure evil and passionate hatred for him. He held back a shiver and tried to remain strong.

"Well, young prince," Shenshi said, "we meet at last."

"Just why are you here?" Cye demanded the best he could. He was certain he was trembling. He could only hope this Dynastian didn't see it. That would make it much worse for him, especially if it was used against his own advantage. 

"You know why I'm here!" Shenshi's eyes flashed angrily as he came closer to Cye, staring down at him, making him back up some. "I've come to kill you and to force my hand on this empire."

Akahito's eyes narrowed angrily as he pointed at the rebel leader. "Shenshi! You'll do well to remember that no one can rule this empire unless they are of blood to Talpa, and you are of no relation to him!"

"Do you think I care?" Shenshi asked as he rolled his eyes. "Once this small pest is destroyed, I will force all Dynastians to bow in my favor, or suffer the consequences."

Ryo glared at him as he pointed one katana blade at him. White Blaze stood beside him, his white fur rising up on end as he let out a low growl, his black lips curling back to reveal his large fangs. "You won't touch Cye," he said in a low and dangerous voice. 

Shenshi only laughed. "And do you think you can protect him?" he asked in amusement.

"He's right," Doi said with a shake of his head. "Cye must fight on his own. Only by doing so, will he have truly stood up to him."

"And only by defeating him will the rebellion end," Kan added softly.

"What?" Kento asked in shock. "I have to stand here and just watch my friend fight this guy?"

"I'm afraid so," Meiji said with a firm nod of his head. "None of us can interfere here. It must be between them. Cye is a lot stronger than you believe him to be. And you should remember that he carries his father's blood and power through him."

"Yeah," Sage said softly. "And we all know just how powerful Talpa was. It took all five of us, and Ryo's Inferno to stop him."

The Dynastians elders only nodded, but kept silent. They would not speak ill of their master's defeat, especially when they could sense him right in the room with them. Instead they directed their attention back to Cye and Shenshi.

Shenshi's lips curled into a cold smile and he flexed his muscles. "Well, let's get started shall we?" And then suddenly he leapt at Cye, kicking him right in the chest. The young Ronin went flying backward with a scream of pain. Emily gasped and started to run to him, but Rowen held her back. She was about to hit him when he shook his head at her, reminding her that Cye had to do this on his own. Reluctantly she stopped and just watched the fight, crossing her fingers for Cye. He had to win. He _just _had to.

Cye struggled to his feet, placing a hand to his throbbing chest. He brushed his hair out of his eyes. Shenshi suddenly attacked him again, and this time Cye blocked him. Using a strange technique that he had never learned, he suddenly found himself standing behind the rebel master, with his arms pinned backward over his shoulders. Shenshi growled and cursed at him, trying to bring his arms upward so he could at least flip him over, however, it went completely the opposite way. 

Cye brought Shenshi down hard and nearly winced at the sound of ribs and shoulder blades breaking. But that didn't stop Shenshi though. He was instantly back on his feet, now wielding a huge black blade, trying to chop Cye's head off with it.

Cye kept ducking down to avoid having his head severed from his body. He came close quite a few times and it only made him feel more fearful. Would he die right before all of his friends? He was scared to think of that, but it was all he could think of. Suddenly, he felt a searing pain enter through the top of his chest, and he screamed as he was sent flying back across the room. He hit his head against the pillar and slid down to the floor, the blood trickling down and staining his kimono.

"Cye!" Ryo cried as he tried to go to him. Akahito held him back, but was surprised at the Ronin leader's strength. Kan came over and helped his fellow adviser hold Wildfire back as the two tried to talk to him.

"You mustn't try to help him!" Akahito cried. "He must do this alone!"

Ryo growled angrily, but he did stop struggling. Anxiously he watched as Shenshi was slowly making his way toward his friend. Glancing at the others, he could tell they, too, wanted to help Cye, but there was nothing they could do. They all knew there was a great chance they would lose Cye that very day.

Talpa's spirit had appeared next to Cye. He stared down in disgust at the injured Ronin, and yet with concern. His feelings about Cye had been changing dramatically, one he himself could not understand, and though he loved to see blood, he could not stand to see Cye defeated that way. In a rough voice, he spoke in such a way so that only Cye could hear him.

__

'What do you think you're doing? Lying on the floor like that? I thought you were better than this, Cye. Are you going to let him kill you? Get the best of you? Are you really that much of a weakling? What about your friends? And your girlfriend? Are you going to let them down? Oh, maybe they won't miss you. But what if they do? Don't you dare give up, Cye. I will haunt you every day in the spirit realm if you die here today.'

Cye struggled to open his eyes. He lifted his head and saw Shenshi coming toward him. No, he couldn't give up. He had to keep fighting. With a sudden new burst of energy he stood up. Staggering a bit, he took a moment to regain his balance and collect his energy. 

Shenshi smirked at him as he paused in his steps. He licked his lips at the sight of Cye's blood, then looked into his eyes. "Well, you do have spunk. I admit, you sure surprised me, young prince."

Cye narrowed his eyes at him, but now they had changed color. Instead of the normal sea blue color they usually were, they were now glowing red as his aura switched from light blue to both silver, gold, white, and light blue. This was the final showdown. 


	9. Chapter 9

****

Twisted Reality 2, Version 2.0

Chapter 9.

Kento's eyes widened as he watched his best friend. He had seen Cye's eyes glow like that, but only when he was becoming extremely angry. Now not having anyone to hold him back, they were all about to see just how much power Cye really had within him. 

It was terrifying to know what your best friend was capable of, or knowing the fact that he could destroy you with just a single wave of his hand. He had never seen Cye's full power and he wasn't sure if he wanted to. He wanted to get in there and help vanquish this terrifying enemy and put an end to all the misery and save his friend from a terrifying fate. 

But he could not. Instead he was forced to watch in horrific silence beside the other Ronin Warriors, Emily, Mia, White Blaze, and the Dynastian Elders as Cye battled his enemy alone.

Mia was holding her breath. She wasn't liking this one bit and it scared her greatly. She could feel Rowen's hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her, but was it she who needed the comforting? Looking at Emily, she felt as if the younger girl could use more support. It was her boyfriend who battling for his life, and his heritage. 

Sage kept close to his younger sister, feeling her pain, her concern, and her enrage. He didn't have to hold her back now, because he knew she was staying back, and there was no choice. He continued to watch the battle while all the time glancing sadly at her. This was so tough on her. She and Cye had grown closer during the past year, and especially when Cye had been abducted a few months ago, before the final showdown with Talpa. 

Ryo shuddered almost violently as he kept his tiger blue eyes on his young friend. He had finally stopped fighting against himself to go and help Cye, and was now just watching the battle. Cye had improved with his fighting style more than he could have imagined, and having those extra powers sure seemed to help as well.

Rowen was secretly cheering Cye on. He was glad to see Cye fighting back, using everything he had to defeat this tyrant. He was still slightly worried about Cye losing though, but he clung to his kanji that Cye would be just fine. 

Emily bit her lip as she continued to watch. She was still afraid, but feeling the support of her older brother, and knowing the fact that Cye was protected somehow, made her feel better deep inside. She relaxed some and watched with interest as her boyfriend battled.

Cye stared at his enemy through his enraged eyes. He could feel the power building up inside him, wanting out much like a wild beast detained in a cage. And it would soon happen. He could feel that burning desire within him to release it. But he was afraid though. He had never dealt with this much power before. What if he hurt his friends? What if he killed himself? What if Talpa was waiting to take possession of him? There was so much fear, he was considering on trying to subdue that power, but for some reason he could not. And why though? Why couldn't he make it back down? 

Shenshi smirked at him, somehow sensing the inner struggle Cye was having with himself. It wouldn't be long before he lost total control over his emotions and then that was when he would strike. As they say losing control of oneself was the best defeat ever, and he would cherish that defeat over and over. All he had to do was be patient and wait for the right moment to strike the final blow. And he was very patient. He would wait in place all night long if he must. 

Talpa's spirit glanced toward Cye, sensing what was happening. His lips curled into a snarl. This could not happen. He had to get Cye's feelings under control, otherwise it would ruin everything. Once again he appeared beside Cye, crossing his arms as he gave him a stern look. 

__

'I seriously hope you can control your emotions better. You're playing right into that moron's hands, you know.'

Cye frowned a little as he listened to Talpa's voice inside his head. He didn't want Talpa speaking to him, but he had little choice as the evil spirit was actually helping him out. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to breathe a little deeper, but slower, trying to relax his mind, body, and spirit. He raised his eyes to face his enemy and they seemed to flicker a bit. He raised a hand and spoke calmly, and yet with a dangerous passion. "You strive to gain something that wasn't yours to begin with, Shenshi. And because of that, you will pay bitterly. I'll admit I didn't want to rule this realm, but since Talpa gave that right to me, I can do what I wish with this realm, and I will not let evil scum like you take it over." And with that said, Cye created a large waterball, filled with cackling energy from the netherrealm. It grew in size, becoming more and more powerful, before Cye suddenly released it from his hand.

Shenshi's eyes widened as the ball came at him. He raised his arms and created a shield around him, but the ball continued to push against the shield, weakening its force. The rebel master growled angrily as sweat dripped down his face. Then the ball shattered through his defenses and struck him right in the face. He screamed as the pain gripped him from the inside out, tearing at his flesh, before it finally sent him sending back with such a force that it shook the entire castle as he struck the back stoned wall.

The Ronins grimaced as they had watched, Rowen held Mia, sheltering her from seeing what had just occurred. White Blaze actually hid his head in Ryo's stomach, disgusted by what he had just seen. Emily made a face and hid her eyes. Sage stared in horror, feeling almost sick. Ryo watched Cye carefully, feeling Cye was different somehow. He had just killed a living human being. Then again, they all had. So did that make them murderers? No, it didn't. They had been defending themselves. But now that Shenshi was gone, what was to become of them? What would happen to Cye?

Akahito stepped forward and stared at the body of Shenshi. He couldn't be sure if he was dead or not, and he wanted to test that theory. He walked over to him and placed a silver rod over his forehead. The rod glowed for a moment, before finally dying out. He nodded in satisfaction. 

"What's that for?" Rowen asked him as he looked over toward him.

Akahito straightened up as he placed the rod back into his belt. "It is a device to tell if something is alive or dead. When placed over the forehead of the body, if they are dead, it will glow for a moment, before fading out completely."

"And if they are alive?" Sage asked.

"Then it will continue to glow."

Kan signaled several Dynasty soldiers and ordered them to take all the bodies laying around in the throne room away. The soldiers obeyed, without so much giving a glance toward the Ronins or Emily. 

Akahito turned to Cye and stared down at him. "You have done well, your highness. You have defeated your main enemy and saved your empire."

"An empire I do not wish to keep," Cye retorted.

__

'Too bad,' Talpa's voice said to him. 

Cye frowned a little, but nodded reluctantly. "If I was to stay and rule this place, can I leave and visit my friends?"

Meiji smiled. "Your highness, when you rule this place, you can do what you want. And no one can say anything to you."

"Really?" Cye asked with eyebrows raised.

"Yes," said Doi, "except not accept to rule."

"I realize that," Cye said with a nod.

Ryo came up beside Cye and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Remember, Cye, we'll be with you no matter what."

Cye closed his eyes. "This is the hardest thing I've ever been faced with," he said sadly. "I know I have to rule this place, but I don't wish to stay here."

Mia was thinking. There had to be a way to help Cye accomplish his goals without messing anything up, but the question was how? 

Akahito smiled calmly. "Cye, you do realize you have the power to materialize at will, correct?"

Cye looked at him, confusion written all over his face. "No, I didn't."

"It is true," the Dynastian Elder said. "It was one of Talpa's powers, and it runs through you. You can turn up anywhere you wish to."

"You mean like teleportation?" Kento asked with a cock of his head.

"Teleportation takes time to master, and one must train for it," Doi said. "All Cye has to do is reach within himself, grasp the power, think vaguely of the place he wishes to go, and he will turn up there in a split second."

"Wow, go, Cye!" Emily cheered him on. 

Cye smiled, now feeling happier than he had been feeling. He nodded his head. "Okay, I know what I have to do now."

"Tell us, Cye," Sage said.

All of them faced Cye, ready to hear what he had to say. They knew whatever decision he had made within himself would be the best decision, and they would stand by it and support him. The one thing they were glad of, was that although they had all sensed Talpa there, the evil spirit hadn't attacked any of them, and for that they were pretty much grateful. None of them realized that it was Talpa who had kept Cye going in this battle, who refused to allow Cye to give up. And Talpa sure wasn't going to tell them either. To him it didn't really matter what he had done.

"I'm going to stay here and rule this place, but I'm also going to visit you guys a lot as well. I might even appoint you guys as governors in different sections of the Dynasty." He glanced over at the elders. "That's okay, right?" 

They nodded their heads. "Certainly, your highness," Meiji said.

"Good," Cye said.

"Now that it's settled, we must show the Dynasty empire its new ruler," Akahito said as he turned and headed for the balcony doors, leading outside. Everyone followed him and soon found themselves standing outside, about twelve feet above the ground. There were a lot of people standing on the ground, a myriad of Dynastian beings, some who looked human, others who looked more like animals. All of them were silent and waiting as Akahito spoke to them.

"My fellow Dynastians! You all know that Emperor Talpa had one son, and though that son had fought against us before, our master had chosen him to serve in his purpose. We must all be respectful as he and his friends have helped banished the rebels from this place. I want each and all of you to show proper respect to the new emperor at all times. He will have much to learn here, but we will also learn from him." 

Akahito turned and signaled Cye to step forward. The Ronin of Torrent gulped, but did as ordered. He faced the people he would be ruling over. They studied him as well, taking in everything they could see about him. There was a hush silence as Doi handed Akahito a small golden crown. It was rounded, with a sparkling red ruby gem in the center, and the phrase: Meo tok Dynasti engraved around it. It sparkled in the sun brightly, awing those around him.

Akahito placed the crown upon Cye's head as he spoke. "You are now our emperor, Cye, the son of Emperor Talpa," and with that said, the Dynasty Elder suddenly bowed.

Upon seeing him bow, the other elders followed suit, and soon enough so did the people standing below.

Cye could feel a tear threatening the corner of his eyes, but he held it back. He wasn't going to allow his emotions to overtake him now. He smiled brightly at his friends and turned to his people, somehow knowing he had a speech to make. And so he did. The people listened as he told them his plans for the Dynasty, and how new laws would be in effect as soon as they were written down and signed by him. The people listened attentively, nodding their heads, accepting what he was saying. Although they were used to the way things were before, they knew it was best to accept the new laws here. And besides who knew? Perhaps Emperor Cye would be a better ruler than his own father had been.

About a month later Kento was busy staring out the front window. Rain poured down outside, pelting against the window frame and dripping down it. He had been sitting there for over a half hour now, looking depressed, but he hadn't told anyone the reason.

Sage came out of the kitchen, carrying a cup of hot coffee and looking over a report on the section of the Dynasty he was governing. So far everything was going well. All he had to do was make a copy of this and send it back to Cye. He noticed Kento then and frowned. "Kento? Something wrong?"

Kento jumped a little. He hadn't expected anyone to come up behind him. He looked up at Sage for a moment, then looked back out the window with a sigh. "I miss Cye, that's all."

Sage sat beside him with a frown. "I know you do, we all do."

Kento nodded. "It's been tough without him, you know? I mean I know he has responsibilities, but you think he could at least visit us!"

Sage nodded in understanding. "Sometimes we have to do things we don't wish to," he said grimly. "We can't often understand it, but if we accept them in lighter terms, we can grip what we have to face much easier."

Kento blinked at him. "Sometimes you make sense even if you make no sense."

Sage laughed lightly, and this caused Kento to smile for the first time all day. Then Sage nearly dropped his cup as he stared outside. Kento stared at him, wondering what was wrong, but then he looked outside as well, and squinted. Could that be? No, it couldn't be… Wait.. It was… 

Kento leapt off the couch and hurried to race outside. "Cye!"

Upon hearing this, Sage set his cup down and quickly followed him out the door. Rowen and Ryo came from upstairs and followed him, and behind them were Emily and Mia, and White Blaze, and Yulie who had come over earlier that morning. 

Cye smiled brightly as he quickly hugged and kissed his girlfriend, then in turned hugged each of his friends.

"Welcome home, Cye!" Yulie said with a grin.

Cye chuckled. "I'm not exactly home, Yulie," he explained. "I just dropped by for a nice long visit."

"How are things in the Dynasty?" Mia asked.

"Going good. I had only two people arrested for robbing a bank we have there, but everyone else is pretty much obeying my every word," Cye said. 

"Are you happy there?" Ryo asked. 

Cye shrugged. "Well, I get homesick from time to time, and I have nightmares a lot. Meiji's been helping me with them though. I had the castle decorations changed."

"Oh really?" Emily asked.

Cye nodded. "Yes, it's more cleaner, has more furniture." He grinned. "You'll see what I mean when you come visit me."

"We can visit you?" Kento asked.

Cye laughed. "Of course you can, you goof! You're my governors!"

Kento grinned. "I know! Just teasing."

Cye smirked at him, then looked at the others. "So, are we going inside? I'm in the mood for hot chocolate!"

They laughed at this. "Yeah, besides I'm soaked and I hate wearing wet clothes," Ryo said as he turned and headed for the door.

"You're just saying that because you're the bearer of Wildfire," Rowen teased him.

Ryo stuck his tongue out at him and disappeared into the house.

"That was mature!" Rowen shot back.

Cye chuckled and followed everyone into the house. Although he couldn't stay with them, it sure felt good to be back. 

(A/N: I finished! Aren't you proud of me? For those who are curious, I made up the words _Meo tok Dynasti._ Which means he who rules the Dynasty, or ruler of Dynasty, whichever you prefer. Feel free to review! Oh and remember, Emily isn't my character. She belongs to Tigergirl. I wanted to stress that out. And thanks Tigergirl for allowing me to use Emily. And thanks to all of those who had reviewed. Ciao!)


End file.
